OET or IELTS for nurses: which test to take

Verified on 6 October 2026.

If you already have an OET or IELTS result your regulator accepts, keep it: switching tests does not help you combine scores. If you are starting fresh and your regulator accepts both, choose the test whose tasks you can do best. The UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) all accept both OET and IELTS Academic.

By OETify editorial team.

Choose OET if…

• You want tasks set in healthcare: a letter written from patient case notes and role-plays with a patient or relative, instead of a chart description, an essay and an interview on general topics.
• You need the NMC or NCNZ Writing minimum and write clinical letters better than essays: they ask for 300 (C+) in OET Writing versus 6.5 in IELTS Writing.
• You already have one OET sitting close to your target: for the NMC and NCNZ, a second sitting can only be combined with the same test.

Choose IELTS if…

• You already have one IELTS sitting close to your target: for the NMC and NCNZ, a second sitting can only be combined with the same test.
• You prefer general social and academic material, a chart description and an essay, to a clinical letter and patient role-plays.
• You are applying to NMBI and your weakest skill is not Writing: its IELTS rule lets the one 6.5 be in any skill, while its OET table puts the C+ in Writing.

Nursing scores for the UK, Ireland and New Zealand

These are each regulator’s minimum scores, not conversions between the two tests. Check your regulator’s page before you book.

For IELTS, NMBI allows 6.5 in any one skill, with at least 7 in the other three; its table shows Writing as the example, but the 6.5 can be in any skill. For OET, NMBI’s table puts the C+ in Writing, while its text only says “Grade B in three components and C+ in one component”, so ask NMBI if your C+ is not in Writing. (NMBI also labels B as “350 - 450”; OET’s B band is 350 to 440.) OET Test Handbook 2026.

Combining two sittings

For the NMC, you can combine 2 full sittings of the same test (2 OET or 2 IELTS) taken within 12 months of each other, both within 2 years before the NMC assesses your complete application. Each must include all 4 skills. NMC accepted English language tests.

Across the pair you need every required score, and no score in either sitting can fall below these minimums:

If an OET Writing score is below 250, ask the NMC: OET’s C band goes down to 200, but the NMC states its minimum as 250.

NMBI accepts only 1 result and does not combine sittings. Your result must be less than 2 years old when you submit your registration (for online applications started after 28 September 2020). NMBI English language requirements.

NCNZ lets you reach the required scores across sittings of the same approved test within 12 months of your first sitting, with all sittings within 3 years before you apply. It does not set minimum scores for each sitting or say each must include all 4 skills. NCNZ English language requirements; NCNZ English Language Competence Policy Guidance.

So if you narrowly missed one score, check these rules before buying another test. An IELTS score cannot fill a gap in an OET result for the NMC or NCNZ.

Test modes and single-skill retakes

A regulator that accepts one test at home may not accept the other test at home.

IELTS One Skill Retake lets you retake 1 skill within 60 days of an eligible full computer test, once per test, at a centre that offers it. A centre offering it does not mean your regulator accepts it. IELTS One Skill Retake: booking; IELTS One Skill Retake: for organisations.

How the tasks differ

OET uses healthcare tasks. IELTS Academic uses general social and academic material.

OET’s Writing criteria reward a clear request and the information the reader needs. Its Speaking criteria include exploring the patient’s concerns. OET Writing assessment criteria; OET Speaking assessment criteria.

Short made-up examples (written by OETify, not official questions):

Compare the official IELTS Academic samples with the official OET samples. Working in healthcare helps with OET’s content, but you still need the required score.

Fees

The full OET test costs AUD 587. IDP India lists IELTS Academic on computer at INR 19,000. The two are priced in different currencies, so compare the price you would actually pay at your chosen centre. OET: how much does OET cost?; IDP India IELTS fees.

IDP India lists IELTS One Skill Retake at INR 12,650, but the NMC and NMBI do not accept it (see above). OET single sub-tests are only available after a full test, on paper at most venues outside the USA, and they cannot count towards the NMC’s full-sitting rule. More detail is in OET exam fees.

Making the choice

If your current result meets your regulator’s scores, dates and mode rules, use it. If it misses something, check whether a repeat sitting of the same test can fill the gap.

If you are starting fresh and your regulator accepts both, try one sample of each: the OET role-play above with a partner, then an official IELTS Speaking sample. Notice which feels harder, and compare the fees. If you choose OET, our OET preparation plan shows how to fit study around shifts, and a free OETify baseline shows which sub-test to work on first.